Public Policy

In the process of achieving the mission of the National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable to eliminate viral hepatitis, the organization will express its views on matters of public policy. These views will be expressed in written documents such as letters, reports and testimony, as well as orally in speeches and hearings.

The process by which the NVHR Steering Committee will determine which public policy statements the Roundtable will make is entitled the NVHR Public Policy Process

National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable
Public Policy Position Process

Background
In the process of achieving the mission of the National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable to eliminate viral hepatitis, the organization will express its views on matters of public policy. These views will be expressed in written documents such as letters, reports and testimony, as well as orally in speeches and hearings.
The following is the process by which the Steering Committee will determine which public policy statements the Roundtable will make.

Criteria for Public Policy Positions
The NVHR will consider policy positions proposed by its members that contribute to the elimination of viral hepatitis in one or more of the following ways:

By increasing the visibility of viral hepatitis disease;
By increasing public awareness of the burden of illness suffered by those with hepatitis and their families, communities and workplaces; and
By increasing funding to support research, prevention and screening, care and treatment, and education.

Proposal Submission
Any member may submit a policy position for consideration, in the following format. The proposed policy position should be submitted in writing, and be no more than two pages in length.

Page one should include the following:

• Definition of the problem, issue or opportunity
• Description of the proposed NVHR policy action (e.g., testimony before Congress, letter to Congress, letter to Secretary of DHHS)
• Description of how taking this action/making this statement will help to eliminate viral hepatitis
• Notation of whether the issue is time-sensitive (that is, Hearing date is one week from date of this submission, quick action is necessary) along with a deadline date for action by the NVHR
• Description of likely groups (outside the membership of NVHR) who will support, and who will oppose, the policy action/statement.

Page two should provide the policy statement that the NVHR should make, and should begin with the following paragraph:

The National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable is a diverse public-private partnership composed of 114 organizations addressing hepatitis A, B and C. The goal of the Roundtable is to eliminate viral hepatitis in the United States, and to that end, it is currently developing a comprehensive plan to address the research, screening and prevention, education, care and treatment needs of the nation. That comprehensive plan will be completed and released in mid-2005. In the meantime, the NVHR views this (insert the name of the opportunity, e.g., hearing on ….) as an opportunity to inform you of our concerns about (insert the topic of this proposed policy position).

The remainder of the page should describe the proposed text of the policy position statement.

This statement should be submitted to Martha Saly, Interim Administrator

Proposal Review and Recommendation
Martha Saly, Interim Administrator will review the proposed statement. If required information is missing, she will contact the proposal sponsor and describe the additional information required. If the proposal does not align with the criteria for an NVHR statement, likewise, she will notify the sponsor so that modifications can be made.

If the proposal is complete and fits the criteria, it will be forwarded to the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee will review each competed policy proposal, and recommend approval or disapproval action to the Steering Committee.

Steering Committee Review and Disposition
The Steering Committee will review all proposed policy statements, regardless of the recommendation for approval or disapproval by the Executive Committee.

The Steering Committee approval will be sought via conference call or in-person meetings, or via email when the proposal is time sensitive. For a policy position to be taken, a majority of “aye” votes from the Steering Committee will be required to approve the statement. Government agency representatives may abstain or vote ‘nay’
Proposal sponsors will have an opportunity to participate in meetings at which the proposal is addressed. If sponsors do not participate, they will be notified of the Steering Committee’s decision immediately following the meeting.

Policy Position Action
NVHR staff, and others as appropriate, will take the next steps as determined by the Steering Committee, taking account of the tax-status of the Roundtable, which preclude direct lobbying efforts. The appropriate actions will involve creating awareness of viral hepatitis and educating the public and policy makers about the pathways towards eliminating the disease and reducing its burden of human suffering. In addition, all members will be notified of the action, and if appropriate, encouraged to take similar actions. The policy positions and actions of the Roundtable will be posted on the NVHR website.

Call to Action

NVHR is proud to release the National Hepatitis Elimination Strategy: Eliminate Hepatitis: A Call to Action The National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable has spent more than two years developing and debating the best way to prevent unnecessary suffering and death caused by viral hepatitis. And now, with our action plan in place, we need your help. Proposal for action builds on the strengths and successes of our collective membership and this country’s existing healthcare system. Read the Report.